


An Angel's Mission

by Moadlc



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Semi-graphic depiction of Hell, tfwbigbang2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 01:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12025404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moadlc/pseuds/Moadlc
Summary: Before the war in Heaven, Castiel was a rising star among his garrison. Yet, one important mission sent him down the path of two flannel-clad brothers and their ambitions to save the world. To his brethren, the moment he laid his hand on Dean, he was lost, but if you ask Cas today, that was the moment he was found.





	1. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> I've written this fic for [Team Free Will Big Bang 2017](tfwbigbang.tumblr.com).
> 
> The artist is [Superfannibalpotterhead](superfannibalpotterhead.tumblr.com) (tumblr) / [JustAFrenchGirl](archiveofourown.org/users/justafrenchgirl) (Ao3).  
> Here is her [masterpost](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015234) .
> 
> Enjoy!

Before that one grounding moment, Castiel's life went by in flashes. His purpose throughout all creation seemed simple. He was an angel of the lord, he followed and gave orders without question, trusting the authority of his superiors as every other angel did. Yet, he never quite fit in. He had spent many millennia carrying out the missions assigned to him, rarely finding time to spend in leisure. Continuous work was actually considered essential to his role as a soldier.

Heaven did not take kindly to individuality. 

Still, Castiel often found himself walking aimlessly through the long, winding corridors of personal heavens, wondering if he would ever have a room of his own. Each white door he encountered made him wonder about what it held inside. He wished he could allow himself the indulgence of taking a peek, but he knew it was strictly forbidden to do so.  
Angels believe in order. They were the force against chaos in the world. It would be 'unseemly' for one of his kind to be caught fraternizing with the human souls, unless strictly necessary. 

Today, as he had many times before, Castiel found himself patrolling through the corridors, wishing with all his grace to take a glimpse inside the mysterious and alluring doors.

He was jarred from his thoughts when he heard his name be called. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sound inside his head, trying to pinpoint its source.  
"Castiel! Where are you? The meeting in the Hall is about to start! The council is getting restless, please hurry!"

Castiel's eyes snapped open, fear evident within them. Turning, he ran as fast as he could. He cursed at the halls and their seemingly infinite length. Though beautiful, they made it extremely difficult for him to rush to the Grand Hall. 

Every single important event in Heaven, was held in the Grand Hall. Such as committee gatherings, training sessions, leadership ascension ceremonies and other similar activities. Sometimes, however, the council would use it for their meetings between their soldiers. These rare meetings usually focused on announcing tasks and missions to each garrison. Normally, Castiel would be among the first to arrive and the last to leave. Yet, here he was, gasping and heaving as he finally reached the great oak doors, just as they were beginning to close.  
Making his way through the crowd, he tried praying silently to Hannah, assuring her that he had made it and was looking for her.In the far right corner he spotted her long dark hair, which seemed somehow nicer than usual, and slowly made his way to the seat she had saved for him.  
"Where were you?" she asked, her eyes bright in relief at seeing her friend. Her light blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Please tell me you weren't.." lowering her voice "strolling by the Human Heavens?"

Castiel could not meet her eyes, which meant that she had her answer. Hannah sighed and turned to face forward, just as the Council leader began to speak. At the sound of the man's echoing voice, Castiel looked up. 

Before him, about 5 rows in front, was the golden stage on which the Council now stood, or at least they would if they were not currently represented by giant statues of marble and gold. The walls and high ceiling of the room looked just as he remembered them from the last time he was here. The other stone statues and velvet curtains stood proudly around the Hall, much like the angels who now housed it.Thinking back, it had been fairly recently, about 100 years. 

Zachariah, the representative leader of the Great Council, finished greeting everyone and welcoming them to the meeting. He stated their agenda for the day’s meeting: as usual, mission distribution, a few announcements and nothing much more. Castiel observed his superior. Zachariah stood tall and spoke with more arrogance and confidence that an angel with zero battlefield experience had any right to. No one particularly liked him, but questioning his authority was not a thought that could ever go through their minds. 

Well, for Castiel it technically just had, but he would not dwell on these doubts until much later.  
This was the way things in Heaven worked. Simple order. 

Castiel still found it difficult to believe how careless he had been earlier. Had it not been for his sister Hannah, he would have been locked out from this meeting with his superiors. The other angels would have shunned him for such carelessness. Angels did not take kindly to disobedience or indolence, and you could be sure they noticed when it occurred. 

As Castiel looked at his sister, attentive and charming as she always was, he made a mental note to make it up to her some time soon. Turning his attention back to Zachariah and his seemingly endless speech, he let the words run over him, trying his very best to actually pay attention. 

"You see, as they are now, humans are of no harm to us, at least not traditionally. However, we have been made aware of two humans in particular, who could possibly represent a threat or an advantage to us." Zachariah said, as he paced in front of the stage, his hands clutched tightly behind his back, which only made his vessel's large stomach more evident. Castiel snickered as he saw the buttons of the angel's shirt clinging for dear life. Hannah shot him a deadly look, and just like that he was concentrating once again.

In the background, visual aides had been raised to help with the mission assignments. Even though that in itself was standard procedure, what Castiel found odd was the images they had chosen. There were two pictures of two human males. They seemed ordinary enough, and Castiel did not understand how they could possibly be as important as Zachariah stated. 

"The one on the left" said Zachariah, pointing to the pictures behind him. "That one is Samuel Winchester. Sufficiently smart, trained as a hunter, blindly faithful in Heaven’s work, plus disgustingly, yet conveniently loyal to his brother, which is the one on the right, Dean." As he reached the end of the stage, the angel lingered in his spot, his vision to the floor, almost like he was considering his next words carefully. "Dean Winchester is a difficult sort of human. Our intel suggests that he is not quick to trust, he is suspicious by nature, and a very powerful hunter, just like his brother. Unlike his brother, however, he is detrimentally loyal. He is capable of killing himself, just to save another, and though that quality should be useful to us, for reasons I am about to disclose, it could also jeopardise our entire operation." 

Castiel memorised both images, searching to find a resemblance between the two brothers, as was typical with humans, yet he found none. It made a strange feeling blossom inside him, one that he usually reserved for those white doors he was always so tempted by: Curiosity. Before he could get too lost in thought, Zachariah continued. 

"Now, you are all probably asking yourselves why we care about two meaningless humans, among 7 billion others? Well, these two" He pointed accusingly to the images, like a clergyman condemning a witch to her pyre. "These two mere humans have killed approximately 1,000 of their species, trying to 'save' them from monsters. This has not only caused a boom in the Department of Deaths, as well as Purgatory, it is a grossly inefficient track record for our assets to have."

Murmurs erupted around the room. Heaven did not have many 'assets' as Zachariah called them, and whenever actively using said assets was being considered, it indicated that something dangerous was about to happen. Before his audience could become restless, Zachariah continued.

"Yes, you heard me. Sam and Dean Winchester are from now on to be considered one of Heaven's assets. Why? Well, my fellow brothers and sisters, here behind me lie the pictures of the true vessels for our friendly archangel brothers: Michael and Lucifer."

The room suddenly erupted in loud whispers and murmurs, everyone frantically trying to cope with this new information. Castiel heard some of the questions flying around the room, Who was which vessel?, Why were they being told this?, Was Lucifer coming back? But, there was only one statement that made Castiel dread, since he knew it was true. Hannah, her face solemn and serious, had only turned towards him and murmured a single sentence that Castiel would remember for years ahead: "This will start a fight, but will end in war."

"SILENCE!" Zachariah's voice boomed, urging into quiet the entire room. He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair, trying his best to compose himself. "I know this topic makes us all restless, but please allow me to finish, for the elders have come up with a wise plan."

The Elders, (or better known as the actual members of the Grand Council) were the angels that took over Heaven after God had left eons ago. None of his brothers and sisters had actually seen the Elders in person, but everyone knew who they were, and the mere mention of their name commanded respect. The great golden and marble statues that stood behind Zachariah were living proof of the angel's respect for them. 

"These humans descend directly from Cain's own bloodline, which allows them to be the only vessels strong enough to hold our archangel brothers. Sam Winchester, the younger, is Lucifer's true vessel. However, Dean, the oldest, is Michael's true vessel. The Elders believe that if we manage to convince Dean to say Yes to Michael, we can finally win the fight against Lucifer, once and for all. Wherever Dean goes, Sam will follow, so we need to get him on our side, but there are... complications." 

Suddenly, the images behind Zachariah changed, revealing a terrifying darkness that could only be one place: Hell. Castiel took a moment to consider the little he knew about Dean Winchester. Hunter, detrimentally loyal, willing to sacrifice everything, which made Castiel wonder just how much was considered sacrificing everything. Though, staring at the image of Hell, the angel felt he already had an idea of exactly what Dean had sacrificed. Zachariah only confirmed his suspicions as he spoke.

"To be able to convince Dean to say Yes, we must first get to him. Thanks to an incredibly stupid year-long deal this man made with Lilith – a groupie demon or so our intel suggests – Dean is now serving a sentence in Hell. He has currently endured what we calculate is about 38-40 years in his human time."

Some angels grimaced at the thought of such an awful place, while others just stared ahead, boredom evident in their faces. A couple rows ahead of him he saw Raphael. Though he normally didn't pay much attention to these meetings, Castiel noted that he was sitting at the edge of his seat, seemingly enraptured by Zachariah's report. Hannah's face betrayed nothing, but he knew how she felt about Hell, and decided it was best not to question her.

"So, the real reason I have gathered you here today," Zachariah continued "–is to ask for your help. We will need soldiers and a leader strong enough to go into Hell, extract the asset and bring him back to us. As soon as he is back on Earth, we can proceed to communicate our intent. So, do we have any volunteers for this mission?"

At the mention of volunteers, the room visibly stilled. No one dared move, less it be mistaken as interest. Angels knew their place, they had heard the stories of angels sent to Hell who never returned. None dared to risk it, not for some lowly human they knew little about. 

"Why don't we just kill them both?" Balthazar, a long time friend of Castiel, suggested. It made sense he would make this suggestion, he was known for being a good, yet carefree fighter. Many angels held some respect for him. For this reason, some angels nodded in agreement, with murmurs being heard around the room. 

"It just isn't that simple," Zachariah explained. "It seems some strange force, possibly even our own father, has taken a shining to these humans. Whenever they die, they simply just come back."

This new idea being shut down, angels continued to murmur, no one else daring to speak up. Tension was thick in the room. If no one stood up as volunteer soon, then the mission would be randomly assigned, as was customary. Castiel could hear the whispers in his head, as angels begged and prodded at their fellow brothers and sisters to do something. Castiel stared ahead, directly at the dark image of Hell. Something in his grace stirred alive, a feeling akin to interest. Something inside him screamed, silencing all the the other voices and making itself known. He knew what he had to do. It felt right. 

Castiel turned towards Hannah, who was speaking to an angel seated beside her. He smiled, memorizing her grace's shine, knowing fully well it might be the last time he saw it. He gently grabbed her hand and watched as her head twirled rapidly in his direction. She seemed to be about to ask him something, but looked into his eyes and stopped. She knew. She had always been able to read his expressions and she knew. She tightened her grip on his hand, and let go, a faint smile on her face as she nodded minutely. That was all Castiel needed.

Exasperated, Zachariah continued, "Well, if no one is going to volunteer we will go on to the Choosing cere-" 

"I'll do it" Castiel's voice rang across the room as everyone else became quiet. He made his way out of his seat, walking slowly to report in front of Zachariah. He looked the other angel in the eye and spoke.

"I volunteer to save Dean Winchester and convince him to join our cause." Though his voice was sure and firm, his hands betrayed him. They shook, and he tried to close them into fists, attempting to hide them. He knew what this mission might mean, but something deep inside him told him it was right. 

He would find out later, just how right he had been.


	2. Making An Impact

Castiel made his descent slowly into Hell, fighting and breaking free from the different creatures and cursed souls that were clawing at him, screaming in agony. Ever since he had accepted his mission, his mind had been constantly reeling with questions and doubts as to why he had chosen this path for himself. Better angels than him had tried and failed to infiltrate the dark depths of Hell, why did he think he would do any different? 

Yet, that is exactly what he did. As kept going deeper into the dark realm, he felt his grace start to burn within him. It wasn't a painful burn, more like it was sensing something around him, something powerful. The more his grace burned, the easier it was to fight off that creatures that came to him like moths attracted to light. 

It was as he kicked the soul of a chained headless man off his shoulders, that he felt it. The intensity of the burning went beyond anything he had ever felt, yet it did not harm him. He felt a strange, ethereal pull pulsate through his entire being and just mindlessly followed its origin. There, in the midst of horrible darkness and despair, he saw it. The brightest soul he had ever laid eyes upon, the soul of Dean Winchester. 

Zachariah had warned him, he had gone on and on about the intensity of the Righteous man's soul, but his mere words fell short of the actually experience. Castiel was frozen in place, completely enraptured by the soul's power, which emanated so strongly around him, even under all the years of torture it had endured.

The angel forced himself to snap out of it. Shaking his head, he dove straight for the middle of the light that was Dean's soul, stretching out his arms as far as he could reach. Trying, furiously, to reach him until…

Castiel's memory is still a blur. He remembers laying a hand on Dean's arm, but after that it was all just pure light. He snapped back into being on a different existential plane than Earth. He tried, hopelessly, to communicate with Dean, to ask him to come with him to Heaven, but his voice was lost as shrill screams that made the human wince and scream in pain. 

He remembers watching Dean uncover the mark on his arm, seeing the confused and horrified look on his face. Though, for Castiel, that moment meant so much more than it ever did to Dean. That was the first time Castiel had left his mark of existence on Earth. Something concrete that a human could see and feel. Yet, he was still too far away to appreciate it. The knowledge of that started a small ache in Castiel's grace, one that would only grow and grow as the years went by.   
After trying and failing, yet again, at communicating with Dean Winchester from the other plane he was in, he decided to search for a vessel. By some mix of extensive research and pure luck, he found a man by the name of Jimmy Novak, the man that would later give him his body, his life, his everything. Something Castiel would forever be grateful for.

As he strolled into the darkness of the abandoned barn, lights flashed and exploded into a thousand smaller sparks around him. He could feel their heat on his skin, he smelled the faint smell of grass and nature that he had missed since the last time he was on Earth. He even felt the thud of shotgun shells colliding with his vessel's chest. Yet, despite all of this the only thing he registered was the magnetic pull of the bright soul that stood before him. Dean's soul was less bright than it had been in Hell, due to the years of excessive abuse and torture he had endured in the dark realm. Yet still, Dean’s soul was unmistakably human, slightly blemished, but perfect just the same. 

Dean Winchester was nothing like Zachariah had made him up to be. In Heaven, everyone fiercely believed Dean was their ticket to saving the world, but nothing more than that. Castiel, however, knew the truth. As he stood there in that barn, exploring the human's equipment, guns, books, he saw Dean's true potential, he saw the pureness of his soul, his righteousness. Castiel knew that Heaven would change him, being different was never something they celebrated. His entire being was telling him to help Dean, save him from what was to come, but he did not listen. For disobeying orders meant showing Free Will, a crime punishable by death. Still, he did as he was told, he followed orders.

It took him an embarrassingly long time to realize he not only followed Heaven's orders, he had also started to follow Dean's.

When Castiel met Sam Winchester, it was nothing like he expected it to be either. He had glanced into Dean's mind, seen Sam through his eyes, but he was still not prepared for the sweet and kind soul he met that day, the day he had been assigned to stop the raising of Samhain. To him, Sam was the boy with the demon's blood, Lucifer's true vessel. In Heaven, Sam was considered dangerous if left unchecked, but when Castiel shook his hand, he felt no danger. Sam Winchester was a kind man, just like his brother. 

Later that same day, Castiel found himself staring at a park full of children. A park full of life that Heaven would have eradicated without a doubt, but the Winchesters had managed to save. As he sat there, on the park bench next to the Righteous man, Castiel found himself sinning for the first time. He confessed his doubts, trusted them with Dean. He finally allowed himself to question those orders that had always bothered him, deep down within his grace. The disputable actions he had seen some of his brothers and sisters take in the name of the 'greater good.' Looking back on it, Castiel would agree that was the day everything in him started to change. That was the day the Winchesters started to chip away at his angelic armor, so they could build him back up with their humanity.

There was no doubt in his mind, that was the day he became "Cas."


	3. Brothers In Arms

Dean and Sam both still believe he did not hear them that night. While he might have been immensely inebriated, his grace was still present in the room, he could still hear the murmurs and whispers of what Dean fondly calls 'angel radio', as well as his favorite brothers talking over his comatose body. 

"Great, so this is it. One ex-blood junkie, one drop-out with 6 bucks to his name and Mr. Comatose over there. Team Free Will." 

He remembers hearing Sam chuckle at his brother, but not making any move to correct his words. They all knew it was true. Through thick and thin, through hell and high water, they would always be there for each other. Cas still wishes they could go back. The fondness that the memory brings him, fills him with pride, even to this day. 

He remembers thinking about it, while he waited for Dean on that cold, dark road. As the hours passed, wondering if something had maybe gone wrong. He can recall the nagging itch that went down to his very core, that insistent itch that made him suspect Dean wasn't safe. 

Castiel saw Dean, felt his longing calling out to him, and dragged him back from the dark reality Zachariah had sent him to. The false future that he claimed was the inevitable result of Dean’s continued resistance.

Dean never told him about his time over there. He didn't need to. As soon as Dean reappeared in front of him, Castiel saw everything he would ever need to right there in that cold and dark street, Dean's soul reading just like an open book. 

"That's pretty nice timing, Cas" Dean rasps, visibly relieved to see his friend, instead of Zachariah's terrifying face.

"We had an appointment" Cas replies, the hint of a smile on his lips. Dean smiles back, his soul seemingly glowing in front of Cas. He feels Dean reach out to grasp his shoulder, a tender squeeze to emphasize his words.

"Don't ever change"

To this day, that has been Castiel's easiest order to follow. He knew that was the moment he had begun to see Dean in a whole new light. It was a while before he could say the same for Sam, but he did have some fond recollections from that earlier time.   
Sam was always a little more distant than Dean. Ironically, the demon-blood addict had been the one with the most faith in the angels and Heaven. In what they stood for, what they fought so hard for. From the very beginning, Sam showed faith in his power, in his mission. Yet, it almost felt like he had a hard time believing in Cas as an individual, instead of as an aspect of a more abstract concept of Heaven. Still, Sam was grateful for Cas saving his brother from Hell, a debt Sam felt he would never be able to repay.

He remembers that before passing out and hearing the start of their new alliance, the start of Team Free Will, Sam had asked him if he was okay. Cas chuckled. At the time, he had drunkenly responded "Don't ask stupid questions". Banter aside, Sam had always cared - even if he wasn’t particularly open about it - and he taught Cas many of the emotional things he now knows. 

Cas had always been intrigued by the Human Heavens, and just humanity in general. However, the thought to 'hug' a human being had never even crossed his mind. Not until Sam. It felt like the right thing to do, though he would later be told it was just awkward, much like the rest of his attempts at humanity. 

It was as he stood there, within his favorite Human Heaven, watching the waving of the autistic man's kite on a sunny Thursday afternoon, that Cas realized just how much he needed to sacrifice in order to save his family. Dean and Sam were everything that he needed to protect, vessels that could mean the end or the safety of the entire universe. No, more than that - they were his brothers in arms. His leaders in the endless fight for the safety and protection of his one true love: Humanity.


	4. Finding Our Heaven

Cas found Dean lying on the ground in front of the Impala, bloody and in tremendous amounts of pain. Not all of it entirely physical. He had just watched his brother throw himself into the Cage in order to put an stop to Lucifer.

As Cas briefly touched his fingers to Dean's temple, the hunter opened his eyes, seemingly in awe and shock at seeing his friend alive again. Dean could feel the angel's grace run through him, healing his cuts, bruises and broken bones. Meanwhile, Cas could sense the gears turning in his friend's mind, analyzing how the angel - who only minutes ago had been blown to bits - could be standing in front of him once again. 

There seemed to be only one answer.

"Cas, are you...God?"

"That's a nice compliment, but I am afraid not." Cas said through a soft smile, small creases appearing in the corners of his eyes.

They left that day with a sour victory. Lucifer was sent back to his cage, but at the cost of both their brothers’ lives. For Cas, this was something he was accustomed to. All the garrisons that went on special missions knew the risk, and they rarely returned just how they had left. Angels died. "Collateral damage", as Zachariah would say. 

Dean, on the other hand, had refused to accept Sammy's death that way. At least, that’s what Cas found out years later. The hunter had confessed he had several thoughts run through his mind that night, as he had taken what had felt like his millionth shot. "There's a way to get him out, there has to be", “This is all wrong”, and “It should have been me” were just some of the very thoughts that Cas had found mostly heartbreaking. 

The bar had been cozy, warm and had just the right kind of beer and pies. Yet, Cas had agreed with Dean, it had all felt wrong. Though in Cas’s eyes, Dean wasn’t the one that had failed, it was him. Cas was the one that deserved the punishment. 

"We will find a way Dean, but I believe Sam would appreciate it if you were around to see it." The angel said as he took the hunter's drink away from him. He had tried to stop him, Dean had been acting like this for weeks, but he refused to listen to reason. Grief was a powerful paralyzer.

Still, Cas could clearly remember looking over at his forlorn friend and deciding then and there that he would not allow the hunter to grieve forever. In theory, Castiel could have pulled Sam from Hell immediately but something in his very core knew it wouldn’t work. Not completely, not right now. Something told him to wait. To find the right spell, the right way. After months of research, he found it. 

Dean had tried to help, occasionally helping him eye through a book or two, but as the days passed he found it impossible to keep still.So, he left Cas, went on hunt after hunt, killing every monster that he possibly could while hunting alone. Of course, Cas only knew because he could feel Dean's longing, constantly pulling at him like an anchor. He went through his days, feeling his grace tugging him this way and that. Until the day he found a way to rescue Sam, soul and all. 

He didn't remember much of it, just got flashes here and there, similar to his memories of how he had felt when he saved Dean from Hell. Cas had to dig through miles of dark flesh, gore and soot to find the small, brilliant soul that was shining in the Cage, gasping and screaming for help - for release! - from his devilish prison. 

They walked into Dean's motel room a week later. Dean tensed, before finally running to his brother. As Castiel watched Dean embrace him in a bone-crushing hug, Cas felt something he had never felt before. He felt...happy. More than that, he felt at peace with the world. He knew he had completed his mission. 

Maybe not exactly the one he had been tasked with in the beginning, but the one he was destined to do regardless. He brought the Winchesters together again. He gave them something no other creature had ever done before, life without a price. A time where they could start over new. They had saved the world, now they just needed to save themselves.

What Cas didn't see was how he fit into that picture. As he saw the tears run down Dean's face, he knew that his job here was done. Dean could continue to find his 'apple pie life' as he so fondly called it. Sam could go back to college and be the lawyer he always wanted. And Cas? He could return to Heaven, fight to have peace there as well. To find a new purpose for his kind. 

As Castiel turned to leave the brothers alone, he felt a hand grab onto his sleeve. When he turned around he felt arms wrap themselves around his vesse- his body. Dean was holding on to him like he never intended on letting go. 

"Thank you, Cas. For everything" The hunter murmured against his friend's coat. Small tears started to pool on Cas's shoulder as Dean's face pressed closer to it. Sam came forward, a huge smile on his teary-eyed face and he hugged them as well. Stuck between his favorite brothers in the world, Cas couldn't help but feel liberated. 

He knew he should leave, but he couldn't bring himself to. At least not without saying goodbye. As he wriggled himself free from their embrace, he gazed at the hunters. A small smile flickered across his face as all the good memories they had together came flooding in. The fights, the banter, the drives, everything they had shared, seemed so precious compared to the rest of his long life. 

The Winchesters were the highlights of his life, and that would never change. Yet, it was time he let them live on. If he stayed, he would only drag them into more issues and problems that they didn't deserve.

Humans could be fragile creatures, especially the ones that thought they weren't. 

"I need to leave now," Cas said, his voice breaking halfway through. 

"Why? We won Cas, we’re free." Sam countered, getting a little bit closer to the angel, almost as if he could make him stay just by staring him down. Castiel was afraid he might succeed.

"I know we won. I’m glad, but I have no place here on Earth. I am an angel," Cas tried, begging the universe that they would understand why he needed to do this.

"Of course you have a place here Cas! You have us! Unless... that's not what you want." Sam's voice got lower as he spoke, almost afraid of the answer. 

Castiel pleaded with them, trying to make them understand that they were only making this goodbye harder. He was interrupted as Dean finally spoke up.

"Shut up," Dean growled. "Let me make this simple for you Cas. You may be an angel, but you are much more than that to us. To me."

"Dean please-," Cas looked down, afraid of the consequences of the words that might come next.

"Let me finish Cas. Look, you pulled me out of Hell, you saved Sammy from the Cage. You have died for us countless times and truth is, we need you." Dean stepped closer to Cas, trying to catch his gaze, just like he had done now close to a year ago in that horrible room in Heaven.

Dean looked into the blue eyes and saw a glimmer of something there. Something that helped him push through his next words. 

"Hell Cas, I need- no... Dammit I.. I love you Cas. So, I am begging you here, don't leave us just like every other godforsaken person I have ever loved. Don't you dare leave."

Cas's eyes widened at the admission of a feeling he had never thought himself worthy of. He turned to look at Sam, hoping he hadn't just imagined the whole thing. He found the tall hunter smiling knowingly at his brother, but a hint of surprise still evident in his features. 

His head snapped back to Dean when he felt the hunter grab hold of his hand. The angel looked from their joined hands to Dean's face and saw what he had seen in Hell so many years ago. The blinding soul that shined so bright with hope and love, something that could never be dimmed.   
With a faint smile, Cas leaned closer until his lips touched Dean's. Saying in a brief touch, more than he could ever voice. Though he knew, he still needed to try and he had a lifetime ahead to do just that. 

"I love you. I love both of you."

That was all it took. With just those words, Cas knew he had gained so much more than a friend. So much more than a life and a family. He had always had brothers and sisters, but now he knew, he had a home.


End file.
